Yeah I pay attention to the mechanics on my truck, but, and this is the crux of my suggestion friend, The AUTO-ILLITERATTII, which is the average jane or joe, dont know anything about mechanical devices. They wouldn’t post some of the questions they do here if then did. For that great majority of drivers, a car that can tell them when and what service it requires would be a boon. More cars would get all their warranty service on time, and even when the warranty was out, the car would tell them in WORDS, what was due next to protect their investment. Perhaps you arent proficient in reading my post?
maybe he means automatic turn signals, not manually operated ones. You start to turn, say you turn the steering wheel a specified number of degrees? and the turn signal comes on. Many people dont bother to operate the manual sw. to turn on the signals, and most cars have an automatic turn off when the steering wheel comes back to center. why not?
my 85 toyota truck has a seat belt beeper and warning light that requires all to fasten. not a new idea, but a good one.
and a full manufacturers repair manual as standard equipment.
manual transmissions dont eliminate idiotic behavior, would that they did.
I’ll be blunt.
Everything on your list is overrated crap, including stability and especially ABS. People that want thes things and are willing to pay for them can buy vehicles that offer them as options.
You “critics” who get to drive free vehicles and hear all the promotional speels get ate up with the sales BS and “buy into” these new gimmicks. That’s how we ended up with ABS standard on so many vehicles even though it’s terrible on gravel and washboard roads and downright dangerous on sheer ice. It allow to to maintain control of your steering at the expense of stopping distance…to steer into what? The car ahead of you. Usually there’s no other place to steer to.
Sorry to be so blunt, but you guys are acting like the medical profession, who buys into all the promotional stuff and free samples for countless new neds, most of which and up having serious side effects and many of which end up pulled from the marketplace. You need to stop letting the salepeople for the companies that manufacture these systems do your thinking for you.
SMB, Big brother knows best for all of us little people. Walterpretzel- I refuse to buy a car with Daytime Running Lights, if they are headlights. Running lights should be amber, if provided.
Daytime running lights were proven to be an advantage in Norway for visibility, where it snows 8 months a year. We don’t need them in the South. I would have headlights come on in these conditions automatically, rain sensing technology is already incorporated in some vehicles.
People should have enough sense to put on headlights in rain and fog conditions. I’ve noticed that people with silver or white vehicles NEVER use headlights in these conditions.
It is possible to ‘drive’ a manual trans. vehicle and talk on a cell phone. How well a person can drive it is debatable.
Well, out of their list, I'd say the audible idiot lights, and easy to replace headlights (which my car already has -- 2 clips pulls the light assembly, and I can just pull the bulb and replace! I could kick the Buick designers in the nuts for some OTHER parts but the headlights are easy!) Auto shutoff headlights should cost almost nothing too so that's a good idea.
I firmly believe if someone wants a cheap, basic car they should be able to get it -- and it's sad now that a "basic" car is like $15,000-$20,000 because of all the stuff shoved into it. Stability control? If you don't get some bloated SUV most vehicles are inherently stable -- my cars have all been stable even on ice and such (well except my Dodge Shadow...). Blind spot monitoring? Some cars do need it but a lot don't have blind spots. Those fancy keys are great until you lose one! And so on. My sister's Plymouth Horizon she had, the passenger side mirror was even an option!
What should be standard? Engine, transmission, I suppose power steering (some cars shouldn't need it but then there'd be complaints that someone out of shape, or crippled, or whatever couldn't turn the wheel), seat belts, I guess an airbag is required these days. Really that's it -- if someone wants to get a vehicle with crank windows, manual locks, no ABS, no stability control, no cruise control, and no overpriced fancy keys they should be able to. My dad tried to get a car with no radio, since he just takes it to and from work! Oh and no air conditioning! I wouldn't consider a car without it, it gets up to 100 degrees here (and I'm stuck in traffic with cars on both sides of me blasting hot air out from under the hoods) but there are a few bits of the country where it doesn't get boiling hot, and A/C just adds weight and complexity. If someone built a car with the bare necessities I bet they could sell it for $6000, and since it wouldn't have all the stuff weighing it down it'd get good gas mileage too!I suspect ‘oldwrernch’ was making a subtle observation about the number of people who don’t use their turn signals. It has become a running joke between my mother and I when we see the number of people driving fancy new cars but refusing to use their signals: “Gee, it’s a shame they spent all that money for a car and it doesn’t even come with turn signals.”
try that link instead
A means to reducing road kill. An admitted animal nut, I grieve over every little furry body. Couldn’t cars have lights next to the fog lights that come on automatically at dusk and point to the side of the road to make animals more visible and also give them more warning? Could a motion sensor beep when something is moving on the road pavement in front of you?
My Mazda CX-7 has sliding parts on the sun visors. Haven’t had to use them yet, but it’s nice to know they’re there if I need them
I’ve seen dark colored vehicles without headlights on too, especially when it’s raining outside during the first morning light or at dusk.
I think if all cars had a discrete 3 color led light atop that designates braking, coasting or accelerating, it may help avoid some accidents. It should be visible from all directions, as leds can be. Like a rear cyclops lite is proven to reduce rear end accidents 50%.
I have two words for you:
BLACK ICE
I agree that a good driver can mitigate bad conditions by being aware of them and adjusting her or his driving style, but sometimes conditions surprise even the best drivers. These systems save lives.
If every driver received intensive training, it would be another story. Many drivers never take a driver’s education class, and even those who do learn just enough to pass the tests.
I guess if you are the son of God, you never make a mistake. The rest of us mere mortals bow to your infallible driving skills.
Why not? Because the turn signal would come on after you have already entered the turn. I don’t see how that would be useful.
Like I said, let the ones who need to rely on these gadgets be the ones to buy them. And, no, you don’t have to be infallible or super-human to maintain control of an automobile in the worst of conditions. You do, however, have to drive in a manner appropriate for the vehicle and the road conditions. That could mean 3 mph on a 40 mph road sometimes. Your response makes me question your driving skills. Apparently, you’d rather put your faith in technology and think you can keep going like it’s clear and sunny 100% of the time. How would you explain the endless numbers of late-model, ABS equipped cars I see every winter in the ditches? Did the technology fail? Probably not; most likely, the drivers ignored the conditions and drove beyond the vehicle’s capabilities, no doubt encouraged by the false sense of security all the hi-tech wonders provide.
Bingo. I could not have said it better myself if I had all night to do it.
This technology isn’t just useful for mitigating mistakes of the driver of the car in question. This technology can also help you prevent a collision that is someone else’s fault. All accidents are worth avoiding, even the ones that are someone else’s fault.
You have stated your opinion and I have stated mine. There is no need to make this personal by attacking my driving skills. You know nothing about how I drive, so please stop making a fool of yourself.